Mane National Guard officials are hoping voters pass a bond next Tuesday that would fund improvements to the state's armories. WMTW News 8's Paul Merrill reports.

Updated: 10:55 PM EDT Oct 29, 2013

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WEBVTT IN OURCOMMITMENT 2013COVERAGE TONIGHT...ONE WEEK FROMTODAY, MAINERS WILLHEAD TO THE POLLSTO VOTE ON FIVEBOND QUESTIONS.THE FIRST OFTHOSE QUESTIONSHAS TO DO WITHBORROWING 14MILLION DOLLARS FORTHE MAINE NATIONALGUARD.THE MONEY WOULDGO TO HELPMAINTAIN, REPAIR,AND MODERNIZE THEGUARD'S ARMORIESAROUND THE STATE.IT WOULD ALSOTRIGGERS MATCHINGFEDERAL FUNDS.W-M-T-W NEWSEIGHT'S PAULMERRILL IS TAKING ACLOSER LOOK AT ALLOF THE BONDQUESTIONS THISWEEK.HE JOINS US LIVENOW FROM INSIDETHE ARMORY ONSTEVENS AVENUE INPORTLAND.THIS IS THE BOILERROOM OF THENATIONAL GUARDFACILITY ON STEVENSAVENUE. IT'S THETALE OF TWOBOILERS. THIS NEWERONE SERVICES ABOUTHALF THE ARMORY.FEDERAL MONEY PAIDFOR THIS. THIS OLDERONE SERVICES THESTATE PART OF THEBUILDING. GUARDOFFICIALS TELL USJUST REPLACING THISBOILER WITH ONELIKE YOU SEE OVERTHERE WOULDREPRESENT ASAVINGS OF BETWEENTHIRTY AND FIFTYPERCENT.THE CONDITIONSAT THE STEVENSAVENUE ARMORYAREN'T EXACTLY THECONDITIONS YOU'DEXPECT FOR OURSTATE'S MILITARYFORCE.MAINE NATIONALGUARD LEADERS SAYTHINGS ARE SIMILARAT THE OTHERARMORIES AROUNDTHE STATE."I don't think I'mgoing out on a limb bysaying that we havesoldiers and airmenwho are deployed inAfghanistan andelsewhere right nowwhose facilities intheater are in bettercondition and are saferthan the ones thatwe're asking them towork in here back inMaine."BRIGADIERGENERAL JAMESCAMPBELL IS CALLINGATTENTION TO THEDEPLORABLE ANDEMBARASSINGCONDITIONS IN THEHOPES THAT MAINEVOTERS WILLAPPROVE BONDQUESTION ONE NEXTWEEK."I'm hopeful that thecitizens of this state,once they recognizethe nature of theproblem and howimportant it is that wedeal with it, that they'lldo the right thing."Raymond:)"No one told us duringthe budget processthat the armories werefalling apart."REPRESENTATIVEMIKE MCCLELLAN ISONE OF A SEVENLAWMAKERS WHOVOTED AGAINST THEBONDS - BASED ONTHE PRINCIPAL THATTHE LEGISLATURESHOULD HAVEFIGURED OUT A WAYTO PAY FOR THESEIMPROVEMENTS INTHE STATE BUDGET.Raymond:)"I just think, aspoliticians, we took aneasy way out. We didthe things that wewanted to do in thebudget and then wesaid, well, we canalways bond theimportant stuffbecause people alwayssupport bonds.""What makes us thinkthat we're going to beable to find it now,when we couldn't findit over the last 30 or 40years?"WE WANTED TOKNOW IF DECADES OFDISREPAIR MEANTGUARD MEN ANDWOMEN AREN'T ASPREPARED TO DEALWITH DISASTER ASTHEY SHOULD BE."Regardless of theconditions, regardlessof the circumstances,our soldiers and airmenare going to be there